Heart Rate and Psychosocial Correlates of Antisocial Behavior in High-Risk Adolescents

Abstract

(from the chapter) Investigates the heart rate-antisocial behavior relationship within a multiply deprived, high risk, and institutionalized sample. After ascertaining whether there is a heart rate effect in such a sample, the authors analyze social factors that may influence this relation. In particular, the authors investigate (low) supervision/control in education as an environmental risk factor and alcohol consumption as a personal risk factor for antisocial behavior (ASB). Ss consisted of 37 institutionalized males (mean age 17.41 yrs) who were part of the Bielefeld-Erlangen Study on Resilence (e.g. F. Losel & T. Bliesener, 1994). Heart rates (HR) were measured by standard neurological and psychiatric examination. Interviews ascertained the amount of alcohol consumption. A self-rating scale was used to measure antisocial behavior. The amount of supervision/control was derived from educators' reports administered 2 yrs earlier. Although the correlation between HR and ASB took the expected negative direction, it was not significant. Educational supervision/control correlated significantly with ASB. Adolescents from institutions with more supervision were less antisocial. Alcohol drinkers with low-mid HR showed the highest antisociality. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved).